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“It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routined life, even if you hate it.”

— John Steinbeck, "East of Eden” (Viking Press, September 19, 1952)

A woman must stay alone for a long while until the hate men have for women has left her, and even longer until the jealousy women have for other women has left her, and longer still until the anger her children have for her has left her—until she is no longer a woman altered by the resentment of men, women, and children, no longer what others have forced her to be, but empty as a skull or a shell, filled only by whatever she pleases, forest air perhaps.

— Kiran Desai, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

1five1two

Elton Bennett. 1910-1974.

orthodoxadventure

Saint John Chrysostom fears lest the sinner falls into one of the two extremes. One extreme is despair and hopelessness; the other is indifference and disinterest. The devil possesses two weapons, which he uses to give the finishing blow to sinners. One weapon is for people who are sensitive; the other, for them who are insensitive. For sensitive people he uses the weapon of despair and hopelessness. He attempts to demoralize the sinner: "Oh no! What have you done? There is no salvation for you now. Who can save you?" The Christian must respond by saying, "Get behind me, Satan of despair! Leave, you scoundrel, because your shadow is obstructing my view of the Cross of Christ, my great hope. I know that I sin, but I hope in God's mercy." For them who are insensitive, the devil possesses the weapon of indifference and disinterest: "Don't worry, you're a good person. What have you done, anyway, to repent? You're not a criminal. You haven't killed anyone. It would be great if everyone was like you!" The Christian must object: "No! Get behind me, Satan of indolence and delusion. Leave, because your ugly figure is blocking the spiritual mirror and preventing me from seeing my true self and understanding that I am full of wounds and in need of treatment."

The Art of Salvation by Elder Ephraim of Arizona

holespoles

Chinese artist Shou Xin creates the most wonderful cats with just a few pencil lines

7pleiades7

The Penitent Mary Magdalene in the Cave, (Detail), (1890), by Edouard Kasparides (Austrian, 1858 – 1926), oil on canvas, 45.5" x 67", Private Collection

sesiondemadrugada

The Holdovers (Alexander Payne, 2023).

crabussy

every 14-16 year old is the bravest person on the planet to me

crabussy

talking to a 15 year old like wow okay you are like if scrambled eggs was a person. I don't know how to save you. the way you move through the world is reminiscent of a stray cat whose soul got punted into a human body. said human body is currently undergoing changes and floods of hormones that would result in cities being levelled if you were perhaps a big dragon and not a medium sized primate. been there. good luck I love you

crabussy

you don't have to excuse the behaviours of shitty teenagers, but you DO have to remember that they've been on this earth only as long as your cat. you have to ensure that the way you respond to said behaviour reflects this. yes they're an entire person. they're also going through a period of the most insane rapid transformation (physically, mentally, emotionally and socially) a person can experience in life. are they an irredeemable monster or are they just a very impressionable young person floundering through their first Strong Opinions based on what they've seen online, with ridiculous amounts of Hormone That Makes You Hate Everything in their bloodstream?

crabussy

YOUNG TEENAGERS. are YOU an irredeemable monster or are YOU just a very impressionable young person floundering through your first Strong Opinions based on what you've seen online, with ridiculous amounts of Hormone That Makes You Hate Everything in your bloodstream? I'll give you a hint. it's the second option. cut yourself some slack too! try your very best to be kind, try your very best to consider people with differing experiences to you, and maybe take a step back from discourse that does nothing besides make you upset. you've only been an animal alive on this planet for a decade and a bit. there are artisanal cheddars at your local supermarket older than you. take it easy. eat more fruit. save up for a second hand bicycle. join a local club. it's impossibly difficult to be a teenager but you have it in you, whether you're aware of it or not. I hope you can be kind to yourself, because you DO deserve that kindness. kia kaha [:

orthodoxadventure

Blessed Eldress Marie, the Hermitess of Sinai, a native of Paris who abandoned secular philosophy to become a modern Orthodox desert mother.

samimarkart

Blackwater Dive

2024, hand bleached and dyed denim, cotton batting and thread

inspired by blackwater photography of plankton! this was my first time layering bleach painting. All the silhouettes were painted with bleaching gel, loosely tie dyed, and then bleached again to make the highlights. I quilted the piece using my free motion foot to outline each individual animal and tacked down the rest of the quilt with small satin stitches that remind me of marine snow. I dyed bias tape to match. super happy with this one and excited to show it in a gallery setting soon!